World factory instrumentation protocol (WorldFIP) is a fieldbus network protocol that provides a link between level zero (sensors/actuators) and level one (field controllers such as programmable logic controllers, etc.) in industrial automation systems. Accessing and connecting the WorldFIP remotely is important for monitoring, maintaining, and controlling devices in a factory in which asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is used as a backbone network. In this study, a transparent WorldFIP/ATM bridge was designed and implemented in order to access devices on WorldFIP via an ATM network. This designed bridge may also provide control of the devices over wide area networks. The bridge's performance was investigated using network simulation software under various message traffic conditions. The results obtained from the simulations showed that the bridge provides real-time communications between WorldFIP and ATM.


Distributed Interactive Applications (DIAs) enable geographically dispersed users
to interact with each other in a virtual environment. A key factor to the success
of a DIA is the maintenance of a consistent view of the shared virtual world for
all the participants. However, maintaining consistent states in DIAs is difficult
under real networks. State changes communicated by messages over such networks
suffer latency leading to inconsistency across the application. Predictive Contract
Mechanisms (PCMs) combat this problem through reducing the number of messages
transmitted in return for perceptually tolerable inconsistency. This thesis examines
the operation of PCMs using concepts and methods derived from information theory.
This information theory perspective results in a novel information model of PCMs
that quantifies and analyzes the efficiency of such methods in communicating the
reduced state information, and a new adaptive multiple-model-based framework for
improving consistency in DIAs.
The first part of this thesis introduces information measurements of user behavior
in DIAs and formalizes the information model for PCM operation. In presenting the
information model, the statistical dependence in the entity state, which makes using
extrapolation models to predict future user behavior possible, is evaluated. The
efficiency of a PCM to exploit such predictability to reduce the amount of network
resources required to maintain consistency is also investigated. It is demonstrated
that from the information theory perspective, PCMs can be interpreted as a form
of information reduction and compression.
The second part of this thesis proposes an Information-Based Dynamic Extrapolation
Model for dynamically selecting between extrapolation algorithms based on
information evaluation and inferred network conditions. This model adapts PCM
configurations to both user behavior and network conditions, and makes the most
information-efficient use of the available network resources. In doing so, it improves
PCM performance and consistency in DIAs.


With increasing efforts to promote free markets, one must ask whether the impact on some agricultural producers may be less than desirable. Small producers with limited access to capital, technical assistance, and competitive buyers may be unable to participate in new marketing opportunities. Without recommending a return to heavy government, this article suggests development policy be enlarged to encompass agribusiness enterprises. Localized agribusiness can help rural populations capture value added that is otherwise lost to external agents. This may require, however, a different governmental role, primarily in the provision of basic infrastructure, transparent policies, and the continued emphasis on availability of capital and technology.


Tomato pomace is rich in bioactive food components, and has therapeutic properties but have a low economic value. In this paper, the effect of tomato pomace on reduce lipid profile and improve antioxidant status in aging female rats, also the potential use of tomato pomace in bread were studied. Twenty four aging female rats were divided randomly into four groups, six rats per each. First (control group), second, third and fourth group received basal diet + 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 % of dried tomato pomace (DTP) respectively for 4 weeks. Animals were sacrificed, blood samples were collected. Serum was then removed by centrifuging for analysis. Also, tomato pomace powder was used to replace part of the whole wheat flour (0%, 2.5%, 5% and 10%) in standard baladi bread. Appearance, taste, flavor, texture, compressibility, color and overall acceptability were evaluated in baladi bread. 10% dried tomato pomace group was more effective to reduce serum total lipid (T.L), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and atherogenic indices levels than other groups. While, antioxidant status indicators improved in DTP groups and 10% DTP had more effective. Moreover, sensory evaluation showen that all portion of DTP in bread were found acceptable by the panelists. It conclude that dried tomato pomace powder improved lipid profile levels and antioxidant status in aging female rats and it obtained good result in sensory evaluation of baladi bread.


We show that an ab initio molecular-dynamics scheme based on Vanderbilt ultrasoft pseudopotentials and a plane-wave expansion for the electronic orbitals allows one to perform accurate calculations for large systems containing tightly bound d-electron states. We use a novel real-space double-grid technique to deal efficiently with the localized augmentation functions in the core region. We apply our scheme in a full molecular-dynamics simulation of liquid copper at a temperature of 1500 K and find structural and dynamical properties that are in excellent agreement with experimental data.


With the emergence of global manufacturing era, the manufacturing environment has become increasingly competitive, as markets become more dynamic and customer driven. This intense competition has focused the attention of manufacturers towards automation. To realize full automation in machining, computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools have been implemented during the past decades. In this project solution is trained for the problem of choosing machine setup parameters for a turning operation using the theories of artificial neural network. Artificial neural network has the ability to learn mapping between a set of input and output values. Once a network is trained, it can be used to forecast output values for a given set of input values. Trained program can be used to generate process inputs such as cutting speed, feed, depth of cut and coolant flow rate and their corresponding process output such as surface finish. This method uses back propagation neural networks to accomplish forward mapping of process inputs and process outputs. These networks can then be used interactively to choose the best machine setup parameter. A program has been developed in MATLAB for solving the model. The result from experiment is validated with neural network.


All manifestations of dimensional harmony in nature and human practice are being always characterized by deviations from golden ratio that often makes their acceptance problematic. On the example of Fechner's experiments the paper discusses the way of solving this problem, based on informational approach, according to which the informatively optimal permissible deviation from dimensional harmony has been applied. The using of information optimization reveals that in experiment's data along with the phenomenon of the conformity of aesthetically preferred rectangle's sides' ratio with golden ratio the statistical majority attributed to the three most preferable rectangles should be regarded as the manifestation of the harmony in full accord with the permissible deviation from the golden ratio. Eventually the confidence to the harmony manifestation in regard to Fechner's experiments is being significantly increased. The paper also focuses on the significance of the used investigation method and its influence onto research results.


Background: Lifestyle interventions can prevent, delay, and improve management of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, implementation of these programs is challenging in diverse populations. South Asians have higher risk for T2D, yet to date, there have been limited programs specifically for this community. The aim of this project was to develop and test the feasibility of a tailored group visit model for South Asians based in a family medicine clinic. Methods: In conjunction with a local community-academic board, we conducted focus groups to tailor an existing evidence-based curriculum to a culturally acceptable lifestyle interventions program for South Asians with T2D or prediabetes. Fourteen participants enrolled in the 16-week program focusing on healthy diet, exercise, and weight loss. Weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, HbA1C, were measured at the beginning and end of study. Participants were asked to evaluate each session on level of satisfaction. One tailed t-tests were used to test significance of pre-post changes in outcomes. Results: Ten of 14 participants had baseline and follow-up data. Participant attendance averaged 50%. Statistically significant reductions in mean weight (-3.16lbs, p Discussion: A lifestyle program based in primary care is feasible and acceptable for South Asian immigrants. Larger studies testing the effectiveness of group programs, based in primary care, in improving cardiometabolic factors and weight reduction are important. Overall, these interventions may have broader application to other culturally cohesive communities. Disclosure M.K. Shah: None. N.C. Kurra: None. M.K. Ali: Research Support; Self; Merck & Co., Inc. K. Narayan: None. Funding National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (UL1TR002378, KL2TR002381)


Tumors in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients are often proximal to the major blood vessels in the abdomen or neck. In external-beam radiotherapy, these tumors present a challenge because imaging resolution prevents the beam from being targeted to the tumor lesion without also irradiating the artery wall. This problem has led to potentially life-threatening delayed toxicity. Because radioimmunotherapy has resulted in long-term survival of NHL patients, we investigated whether the absorbed dose (AD) to the artery wall in radioimmunotherapy of NHL is of potential concern for delayed toxicity. SPECT resolution is not sufficient to enable dosimetric analysis of anatomic features of the thickness of the aortic wall. Therefore, we present a model of aortic wall toxicity based on data from 4 patients treated with 131I-tositumomab. Methods: Four NHL patients with periaortic tumors were administered pretherapeutic 131I-tositumomab. Abdominal SPECT and whole-body planar images were obtained at 48, 72, and 144 h after tracer administration. Blood-pool activity concentrations were obtained from regions of interest drawn on the heart on the planar images. Tumor and blood activity concentrations, scaled to therapeutic administered activities—both standard and myeloablative—were input into a geometry and tracking model (GEANT, version 4) of the aorta. The simulated energy deposited in the arterial walls was collected and fitted, and the AD and biologic effective dose values to the aortic wall and tumors were obtained for standard therapeutic and hypothetical myeloablative administered activities. Results: Arterial wall ADs from standard therapy were lower (0.6–3.7 Gy) than those typical from external-beam therapy, as were the tumor ADs (1.4–10.5 Gy). The ratios of tumor AD to arterial wall AD were greater for radioimmunotherapy by a factor of 1.9–4.0. For myeloablative therapy, artery wall ADs were in general less than those typical for external-beam therapy (9.4–11.4 Gy for 3 of 4 patients) but comparable for 1 patient (32.6 Gy). Conclusion: Blood vessel radiation dose can be estimated using the software package 3D-RD combined with GEANT modeling. The dosimetry analysis suggested that arterial wall toxicity is highly unlikely in standard dose radioimmunotherapy but should be considered a potential concern and limiting factor in myeloablative therapy.


This collection of patterns proposes some successful techniques to assist with teaching and learning, especially of technical subjects. For professional educators, these patterns may seem obvious, even trivial, because they have used them so often. But for those newer to teaching, they offer a way to obtain the deep knowledge of experienced teachers.
Patterns are not step-by-step recipes. Each of these offers a format and a process for transferring knowledge that can then be used by a variety of different teachers in many different ways. While most of the authors are involved in some aspect of computing and informatics, and so the examples are mostly drawn from those fields, much of the advice is general enough to be applied to other disciplines. The advice is not restricted to formal education, but has been used in various training scenarios as well.


Background: In dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease patients, arteriovenous access (AV access) is the chief mode of hemodialysis access. Basilic vein transposition (BVT) is an alternative in patient with failed multiple AV access. The aim of the study is to assess the outcomes of BVT at 1 year of follow-up. Materials and Methods: This prospective, nonrandomized, observational study was conducted in the Department of Vascular Surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. Forty consenting patients with end-stage renal failure on maintenance hemodialysis having no other options utilizing superficial veins of the upper limb for AV access formation were included. All the complications, secondary interventions and patency rates were calculated at 1 year of follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test, and patency rates were assessed using Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Results: Most of the patients were in the age group of 51–70 year with the mean age of 51.98 year. The mean basilic vein diameter was 2.84 mm. Fistula thrombosis was the most common complication and was seen in 17.5% cases followed by limb edema in 13% of cases. Re-interventions (fistula thrombectomy, balloon angioplasty etc.) were performed in 27.5% of the patients. The primary patency rate and secondary patency rate at 1 year of follow-up were 77.5% and 85%, respectively. Conclusions: BVT is a feasible and suitable surgical option to provide a durable and autogenous AV access to end-stage renal disease patients requiring maintenance hemodialysis.


The core-degenerate scenario for Type Ia supernovae involves the merger of the hot core of an asymptotic giant branch star and a white dwarf, and might contribute a non-negligible fraction of all thermonuclear supernovae. Despite its potential interest, very few studies, and based on only crude simplifications, have been devoted to investigate this possible scenario, compared with the large efforts invested to study some other scenarios. Here we perform the first three-dimensional simulations of the merger phase, and find that this process can lead to the formation of a massive white dwarf, as required by this scenario. We consider two situations, according to the mass of the circumbinary disc formed around the system during the final stages of the common envelope phase. If the disc is massive enough, the stars merge on a highly eccentric orbit. Otherwise, the merger occurs after the circumbinary disc has been ejected and gravitational wave radiation has brought the stars close enough for the secondary to overflow its Roche lobe radius. Not surprisingly, the overall characteristics of the merger remnants are similar to those found for the double-degenerate scenario, independently of the very different core temperature and of the orbits of the merging stars. They consist of a central massive white dwarf, surrounded by a hot, rapidly rotating corona and a thick debris region.


In this paper, the modeling and H∞, control problems for the Networked Control System (NCS) with random data-packet losses in sensor-controller channel and disturbances are investigated. In specific, the networked system with sensor measurement losses is modeled as a Markovian jump linear system(MJLS) by using a multi-rate sampling approach, while the characteristics of network-induced packet losses are assumed to follow multiple-state Markov chain process. The sufficient conditions for the robustly stochastic stability of the NCS are obtained via the piecewise Lyapunov function method. Instead of designing a general robust controller, we take the dynamic network conditions into consideration when designing a statefeedback controller for the NCS. The stochastic packet-loss-dependant controller for the closed-loop networked system is presented in the formulation of linear matrix inequalities(LMIs), under the given H∞ disturbance-rejection-attenuation level. Simulation results of a simple networked robotic arm show that the developed packet-loss-dependant controller can stabilize the networked system with both random sensor-measurement losses and disturbances robustly.


The presence of the four exotic drosophilids Chymomyza amoena (Loew), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), Zaprionus indianus (Gupta) and Zaprionus tuberculatus Malloch has been investigated in different orchards in Northern Italy for two consecutive years. The presence and the abundance of the population of the drosophilid flies were surveyed with apple cider vinegar traps, fruit baited traps, and fruit collection. Chymomyza amoena, Z. tuberculatus and D. suzukii have been identified in the Apple Cider Vinegar traps in both years. Only D. suzukii and Z. tuberculatus emerged from fruit baited traps. Except for D. suzukii, no other exotic drosofilid was captured from the fruit collection. Z. indianus was never observed. Analyses of the presence of the different species, seasonal occurrence and sex ratio are provided.


AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic efficiency of Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand (TRAIL) gene on human colorectal cancer cell line HT29.METHODS: Human embryonal kidney cells transformed by introducing sheared fragments of Ad5 DNA (293 cell)were used for amplification of adenoviral vectors: Ad/GTTRAIL,Ad/GT-Bax, Ad/GT-LacZ and Ad/PGK-GV16. Human colorectal cancer cell line HT29 was transfected with binary adenovirus-mediated TRAIL gene. Bax gene was used as positive control, LacZ gene was used as the vector control,and cells treated with PBS only were used as a mock control. The morphological changes, cell growth and apoptosis were measured by reversmicroscope, MTT method and flow cytometry.RESULTS: All adenoviral vectors titer determined by optical absorbency at A260nm were 1×1010 viral particle/ml(vp/ml).Obviously morphological changes of HT29 cells were observed when infected with Ad/GT-TRAIL, and these changes were much more obviously when Ad/PGK-GV16was coinfected. The cell suppression percentage and the percentage of apoptotic cells were 52.5 % and 16.5 %respectively when infected with Ad/GT-TRAIL alone, while combining with Ad/PGK-GV16, the growth of HT29 was suppressed by 85.2 % and the percentage of apoptotic cells was 35.9 %. It showed a significantly enhanced therapeutic efficiency with binary system (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: A binary adenoviral vector system provides an effective approach to amplify viral vectors that express potentially toxic gene, TRAIL. Ad/GT-TRAIL showed a significantly enhanced therapeutic efficiency for HT29 when coinfected with Ad/PGK-GV16. Ad/GT-TRAIL could induce apoptosis of HT29 and inhibit its growth.


Today, it has been broadly acknowledged in the CCI community that children are not only active learners and users of technology, but can also actively participate in the design process. However, it remains challenging to analyze children's experiences and creative contributions resulting from co-design activities (e.g. stories, paper prototypes, enacted ideas). Broadly speaking, a distinction can be made between researchers looking for inspiration in the form of useful design ideas, and researchers that take a more interpretative stance by looking beyond the surface level of children's ideas to better understand and empathize with them. This knowledge about children is often used to more accurately define the problem space at the early stages of design. Both perspectives to co-design can be seen as the opposite ends of the same continuum, and many researchers combine aspects of both depending on where they are in the design process (e.g. defining the design problem, prototyping stage). This workshop will explore different ways to analyze children's (0 to 18 years) experiences and contributions in co-design activities, the perceived benefits and challenges of these approaches, and will serve as a venue for synthesizing productive practices that will move the CCI community forward.


Seventy healthy, apparently happy babies were studied in an attempt to evaluate the common occurrence of extranutritional sucking and its importance. Sixty-one manifested an appreciable amount of extra sucking which seemed to be gratifying in itself to the infant and which did not necessarily represent fatigue, hunger or discomfort. The onset of this varied from birth to 3 months of age. Its intensity increased until 7 months then began to decrease spontaneously, coincident with other motor accomplishments. By 12 months all but 4 of these babies had ceased to suck their hands except under stress. Only 2 have continued beyond the age of 2 years. The importance of extranutritional sucking as a source of gratification in infancy is pointed out. Its occurrence is normal and its disappearance is spontaneous in most infants when not inhibited


A multi-band circular polarizer using a twisted triple split-ring resonator (TSRR) is presented and studied numerically and experimentally. At four distinct resonant frequencies, the incident linearly polarized wave can be transformed into left/right-handed circularly polarized waves. Numerical simulation results show that a y-polarized wave can be converted into a right-handed circularly polarized wave at 5.738 GHz and 9.218 GHz, while a left-handed circularly polarized wave is produced at 7.292 GHz and 10.118 GHz. The experimental results are in agreement with the numerical results. The surface current distributions are investigated to illustrate the polarization transformation mechanism. Furthermore, the influences of the structure parameters of the circular polarizer on transmission spectra are discussed as well.


During organogenesis many processes occur, including cell growth, cell division, cell death, and cell rearrangement. Johansen et al. investigated Drosophila hindgut cell rearrangement (cells go from forming a wide, short tubular structure with many cells in the circumference to forming a narrow, elongated tubular structure with fewer cells in the circumference) during hindgut organogenesis. Wingless (wg), which is involved in many morphogenesis and patterning processes, is not required during the period of hindgut elongation; although wg is necessary before elongation. Unpaired (upd), which encodes the ligand for the Drosophila Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (Jak-STAT) signaling cascade, is expressed in the small intestine of the anterior hindgut during elongation, as are the receptor (dome) and STAT92E, which are expressed more broadly. Using combinations of gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutants for the Jak-STAT pathway, the authors showed that upd expression had to be restricted to the anterior small intestine for proper hindgut elongation. Expression of STAT92E was stimulated in cells from the small intestine and large intestine and increased STAT92E was detected when upd was uniformly expressed, confirming that upd stimulated Stat92E expression. To confirm that upd must be released and must act as a signal (not cell autonomously), an activated Jak (hopTML) was expressed in the anterior hindgut of upd mutants and did not rescue the upd phenotype. Thus, the Jak-STAT pathway appears to be activated in a graded fashion to promote proper development. K. A. Johansen, D. D. Iwaki, J. A. Lengyel, Localized JAK/STAT signaling is required for oriented cell rearrangement in a tubular epithelium. Development 130, 135-145 (2002). [Abstract] [Full Text]


NEONATAL OUTCOMES AND THE USE OF GLYBURIDE IN GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS. R.M. Reynolds, B.F. Kahn, J.K. Davies, A.M. Lynch, L.A. Barbour, Departments of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Biometrics and Preventive Medicine, and Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO. Background: The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) continues to rise in the face of the obesity epidemic affecting up to 14% of some ethnic populations. Studies have shown that treatment of GDM with insulin decreases serious maternal and fetal morbidity and perinatal mortality. Oral medications are preferred by patients and this could lead to increased compliance. Glyburide remains unapproved for use in GDM. Study: This was a retrospective review of 124 women who were offered glyburide therapy between November 2000 and May 2005. A cohort of 101 women was included for analysis, approximately 50% Hispanic, 33% Caucasian, and 3% African American. Neonatal outcomes reviewed included birth weight, macrosomia, weight > 90%, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, hypoglycemia, evidence of respiratory distress (RDS), and congenital anomalies. Results: Eighty percent of the pregnancies were treated successfully with glyburide. There were no reported perinatal deaths. Overall cesarean section rate was 27% and there were no reports of shoulder dystocia. The macrosomia rate was 7% and 27% of the infants were large for gestational age (LGA) with a mean birth weight of 3,307 490 g. Although 21% were admitted to the NICU, only 8% required IV glucose for hypoglycemia and only 8% were treated for RDS. Three congenital anomalies were noted but glyburide was initiated after 22 weeks gestation. Conclusion: Although the study was a retrospective retrieval of data, the management of these patients was standardized. Fetal growth was considered in the decisions regarding titration of glyburide and this may have contributed to neonatal outcomes such as weight, shoulder dystocia, and rate of cesarean section. Given that the relative safety of glyburide has been confirmed, outcomes with glyburide are at least comparable to outcomes with insulin, and oral medications are preferred to insulin and this may increase compliance, glyburide would be another option to treat GDM and therefore improve overall fetal morbidity.


Under the current version of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), payments to EU farmers are decoupled from the production of agricultural commodities. In fact, farmers qualify for CAP support as soon as their land is maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition. In this paper, we study how decoupled payments influence the decision to invest in farming. We show that decoupling is implicitly providing a costless hedge against volatile farming profits. Consequently, a higher decoupled payment leads the potential farmer to hasten its investment but also results in a farm with lower productive capacity.


We propose an efficient implementation of combining dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) with electronic structural calculation based on the local density approximation (LDA). The pseudo-potential-plane-wave method is used in the LDA part, which enables it to be applied to large systems. The full loop self consistency of the charge density has been reached in our implementation, which allows us to compute the total energy related properties. The procedure of LDA+DMFT is introduced in detail with a complete flow chart. We have also applied our code to study the electronic structure of several typical strong correlated materials, including cerium, americium and NiO. Our results fit quite well with both the experimental data and previous studies.


The rapidly changing demographics in this country have been well documented (Feist-Price, 1995; Fobbs, 1994; Leung, 1993; Thomas, 1991; Whitfield, 1994; Wright, 1993). Based on the 1990 National Census data, it is projected that by the year 2010, ethnic and racial minorities (Asian Americans, African-Americans and Hispanics) as a group will constitute a 51% population majority in the United States, with Caucasians becoming a minority (Wheaton, 1995; Walton, 1994). Along with this demographic shift, it has also been projected that a higher percentage of racial and ethnic minorities will enter the workforce in service and other labor intensive jobs. A number of contributing factors, including living conditions and employment situations, will result in many of those entrants sustaining injuries requiring rehabilitation (Walker, 1987). The ability of the nation's rehabilitation system to meet the needs of racial and ethnic minorities with disabilities (i.e., equitable provision of services) has been questioned (Dziekan & Okocha, 1993; GAO, 1993; Giles, 1993; Atkins & Wright, 1980). Giles (1993) observed that concerns about the system have a historical basis as research from the 1970s found that Hispanic Americans were more likely than their white counterparts to be found ineligible for vocational rehabilitation services. Data from the General Accounting Office (GAO) report, Vocational Rehabilitation: Evidence of Federal Programs Effectiveness is Mixed (1993), based on 1988 case service reports, suggests that African-Americans and other ethnic minorities (a) do not receive services at the same rate and (b) are closed out of vocational rehabilitation services at a disproportionately higher rate than their non-minority counterparts. More recently, findings of Section 21 of the 1992 Amendments to the 1973 Rehabilitation Act address continued problems in the vocational rehabilitation system: Patterns of inequitable treatment of minorities have been documented in all major junctures of the vocational process. As compared to White-Americans, a larger percentage of African-American applicants to the vocational rehabilitation system are denied acceptance, Of the applicants accepted for service, a larger percentage of African-American cases are closed without being rehabilitated. Minorities are provided less training than their white counterparts. Consistently, less money is spent on minorities than on their white counterparts. Section 21 findings from the 1992 Rehabilitation Act Amendments (hereafter referred to as 'the Act') identifies issues and problems associated with the provision of services to minorities within the public vocational rehabilitation system. However, a paucity of information exists on services available and/or being extended to minorities under other titles of the Act, including independent living services and centers for independent living. Section 704(1) - Outreach, for example, specifically requires centers funded under Title VII of the Act to "set forth steps to be taken regarding outreach to populations that are unserved or underserved...including minority groups, urban and rural populations" (pg. 101). The Rehabilitation Cultural Diversity Initiative (RCDI) emanated, in part, from the above referenced findings of Section 21 and targeted all programs within public rehabilitation. Funded by Rehabilitation Services Administration's (RSA) as a five year initiative, the RCDI identified two goals: Goal 1 - Provide and enhance equal access, quality services and outcomes within the public rehabilitation programs for individuals with disabilities representing cultural diversity; and Goal 1 - Expand career development in rehabilitation for individual representing cultural diversity employed in the public rehabilitation program. Fobbs (1994) observed that the RDCI goals were "broad and comprehensive" (p. 54). Purpose Statement This article focuses on three areas: (1) a brief review of independent living centers and the movement which preceded their establishment; (2) results of a survey describing diversity within independent living centers in a federal Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) region; and (3) considerations and strategies for outreach to traditionally unserved and underserved populations referenced in Title VII of the Act. …


We studied the pH-dependence of ribosome catalyzed peptidyl transfer from fMet-tRNAfMet to the aa-tRNAs Phe-tRNAPhe, Ala-tRNAAla, Gly-tRNAGly, Pro-tRNAPro, Asn-tRNAAsn, and Ile-tRNAIle, selected to cover a large range of intrinsic pKa-values for the α-amino group of their amino acids. The peptidyl transfer rates were different at pH 7.5 and displayed different pH-dependence, quantified as the pH-value, , at which the rate was half maximal. The -values were downshifted relative to the intrinsic pKa-value of aa-tRNAs in bulk solution. Gly-tRNAGly had the smallest downshift, while Ile-tRNAIle and Ala-tRNAAla had the largest downshifts. These downshifts correlate strongly with molecular dynamics (MD) estimates of the downshifts in pKa-values of these aa-tRNAs upon A-site binding. Our data show the chemistry of peptide bond formation to be rate limiting for peptidyl transfer at pH 7.5 in the Gly and Pro cases and indicate rate limiting chemistry for all six aa-tRNAs.


ABSTRACT:Harry Somers and Mavor Moore's opera Louis Riel embodies inherently conflicting messages. While the opera was intended to celebrate nation building and suggest a new, postcolonial Canadian nationalism in 1967, it also conveys a distrust of its own nationalizing message. Setting the opera in the broader context of works created about Louis Riel (whether historical, literary, socio-political, or musical) makes clear that it participates in a mythmaking enterprise surrounding the Métis leader. This process aims to present Riel as the quint-essential Canadian hero. However, because this paradigm suggests a collapsing of Canadian-ness and Indigeneity, it is at odds with calls for decolonization and Indigenization. Examining more recent musical works about Louis Riel by Andrew Balfour and Karen Sunabacka highlights some of the limitations of the nationalizing discourse around the opera and provides alternative musical representations of Riel that foreground his Indigeneity and, specifically, his Métis identity.


This study, conducted over a 20 week period, focused on a group of primary school teachers as they implemented a variety of intervention actions, within their class programs, directed towards supporting the reduction of high levels of communication apprehension (CA) among students. Six teachers and nine students, located across three primary schools, six class groups, and four year levels, participated in the study. An action research paradigm incorporating a series of case studies was used to describe each teacher's journey as he/she responded to the diverse needs of individual students with high CA levels. The principal data collection methods used in this study included the Personal Report of Communication Fear (PRCF) scale, semistructured interviews, and dialogue journaling. The PRCF scale was used as a screening tool to identify students experiencing high levels of CA. Semistructured interviews, conducted by the researcher at the beginning and conclusion of the action research process, provided valuable information relevant to each student. Dialogue journaling was the medium by which teachers engaged in written discourse with the researcher, discussing the growth, development, and progress of individual students. Entries in dialogue journals comprised a significant component of each teacher's case study. Six case studies document the teacher's action research journey. These case studies recount the teacher's perceptions of their endeavours to minimise the problems that arise with primary school students experiencing high CA levels. In particular, they highlight the fact that teachers are faced with diverse problems and plan to resolve these in different ways.


Overview The global economy is a complex cyber ecosystem. The movement of goods and services across cities, nations and the world assumes secure and assured access to the internet. Many processes are becoming automated and all manner of devices are being connected to the internet at an accelerating rate, a phenomenon known as the Internet of Things (IoT). In March 2016 the Australian Government released its Cyber Security Strategy and this document provided important context for this IFRS study. The study also sought to understand the implications for Australia of regional approaches to cyber security and the roles that Australia might play to strengthen the cyber resilience of regional nations to their benefit and to Australia's as well. This short report seeks to use plain English to explain concepts that have been for too long relegated by political and business leaders to technical staff who, their best efforts notwithstanding, have struggled to articulate the policy and legislative challenges that the internet, and cyberspace more generally presents to national and global society. The report, based on the individual contributions and collective judgments of a group of well-informed individuals from diverse backgrounds, makes some recommendations and suggestions that, if implemented, we think will deliver a more secure, resilient and trustworthy internet to Australia and to the region.


This thesis investigates to what degree women developed a politicised gender consciousness and participated in political activity in Dundee in the period 1870 to 1997. It is a gender and political study on Scotland's fourth city which has three key objectives. The first is to examine whether gender was relevant in the city's history of representation and whether it made a difference to political structures, policy and activity. The second charts the advance of women in the city's political elites to determine whether they shared common interests which formed the basis for collective action, which could be characterised as women's politics. The third sets out to further our understanding of why there is a commonly-held and repeated public view that Dundee was a woman's town and that Dundee women were and are in some way radically "different" because of the city's unique industrial circumstances and the intervention of gender into local political activity.

The thesis uses several sites to explore whether the women involved made a difference in terms of political outcomes. It examines parliamentary and local government elections. It looks at the emergence of trade unions, elected bodies and autonomous women's organisations. It involves an interdisciplinary exploration of issues and problems in political studies, political history, community politics and the analysis of gender relations. It is an idiographic study of gender and political activity that utilises new evidence to challenge myths associated with the object of analysis. It argues that the distinction between the voluntary welfare associations in which women were involved and political activity was often blurred. Influential women's activity which does not fall within conventional definitions of "political" activity is also highlighted.

The study seeks also to place these discourses within the context of theories about representation and equality. Within political science the thesis explores empirical explanations within the context of Dundee, and contends that analysis of the situation in the city during the study period, in particular the role of middle-class women in the 20th century, goes some way to providing a flexible alternative to important feminist approaches on political participation and representation. It is also argued in this thesis that time and place are important factors in charting representation, and that they are factors seldom prominent within feminist theoretical scholarship. Thus, this thesis is as much a first women's political history of a major Scottish city as it is an important analysis of political representation and a framework for establishing new ideas about political activity in Dundee. It provides an original contribution of a historically and socially-specific location and in so doing provides a basis for further comparative work on gender and political activity and in placing tacit assumptions in the research literature in question.


In this paper both electric discharge assisted milling [1, 2] and conventional mechanosynthesis techniques were applied to investigate the effects of milling conditions on the fracture and agglomeration of amorphous CoSiB ribbons produced by planar flow casting. The effect of spark energy on particle shape and size produced by discharge milling was studied. Conventional milling in inert atmosphere for extended periods generally leads to the formation of porous powder particle aggregates, each particle comprised of small amorphous or, after extended milling times, nanocrystalline elements. The mechanism of agglomeration was believed to originate from repeated fracture, deformation and cold welding of individual ribbon elements. In contrast to conventional milling, spark discharge milling was found to induce the formation of predominantly sub-micron single particles of amorphous powder. The morphology of individual particles varied from sub-micron irregular shaped particles to remelted particles, depending on selection of vibrational amplitude during discharge. For high vibrational amplitudes and high energy input a wider range of particles as produced. These included sub-micron particles, remelted particles and welded agglomerates, and nano-sized particles produced as a fume and collected during discharge milling under flowing argon. These results combined with observations that most re-melted particles produced by discharge milling were also amorphous confirmed that extremely high heating and cooling rates are associated with discharge milling of metals. They also confirm the potential of electrical discharge milling as a new route for the synthesis of ultrafine and nanosized powder particles from amorphous ribbon, for possible processing into 3-D shapes.


The first of five studies explores "Maat", the Egyptian term for the moral order that governed men and gods in their respective spheres. The growth of the concept of Maat is traced from the Old Kingdom to the Late Period by a sequence of autobiographical and other texts in which individual Egyptians define and declare their understanding of, and adherence to, the code of right action were truthfulness and fairness. Adherence to Maat created the good order of society, while abandoning Maat plunged society into chaos. Man's knowledge of right, and his ability to do it, were defined as originating in his heart and in his nature: virtue was innate and inner-directed. In the texts of the New Kingdom the gods came to be addressed as partners of man's rightdoing by providing inspiration and guidance. At no time, however, were the gods given the role of formulating moral precepts. Man remained the maker of his ethos.
The second study demonstrates that the "Negative Confessions" of the Book of the Dead were based squarely on the moral declarations of autobiographical inscriptions, declarations which the scribes of the Book of the Dead rephrased in negative terms, in keeping with the BD's ritual-magical purpose.
The third study pinpoints in vocabulary form the principal terms for the virtues and vices used in the texts cited.
The fourth study shows that the grammatical constructions of the "Appeal to the Living" - the request by the deceased for the prayers of the living - underwent changes which scholars have failed to recognize, a failure resulting in unwarranted emendations and faulty translations.
Lastly there is a grave stela of Polemaic date with a text which, instead of the usual hopefulness, records a long cry of despair.


Small molecules with antioxidative properties are prevalent DUX4 inhibitors within HTS library

Darko Bosnakovski1,2, Si Ho Choi2, Erik Toso2 , Michael A. Walters3, Jessica M. Strasser3 and Michael Kyba2

1University Goce Delcev - Stip, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Krste Misirkov b.b., 2000 Stip, R. Macedonia
2Lillehei Heart Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55014
3Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55014

DUX4 has emerged as the key molecular target in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD). We have shown that DUX4 induces cell toxicity in skeletal muscle at high levels of expression while at low levels it interferes with differentiation and myogenic gene expression related to the FSHD molecular phenotype. A first step towards developing a targeted therapy for FSHD is to discover chemical compounds that inhibit the activity of the DUX4 protein. We have taken advantage of the conditional toxicity of DUX4-inducible myoblasts to develop a small molecule screening platform for identifying inhibitors of DUX4. The assay was based on rapid toxicity of high level DUX4 expression which leads to myoblast death within 24 hours. High throughput screening (HTS) of more than 200.000 small molecules as a part of UT Southwestern HTS compound library was done identified approximately 700 compounds with significant rescue effect. To identify direct inhibitors, we have conducted serial follow up assays, including secondary screens for interference with the conditional gene expression system, reversion of toxicity in other DUX4-expressing cell types (fibroblast, human ES cells) and protection against other cell death-inducing signals.
We are currently working with a subset of 100 purchased compounds. These were selected based on pharmacological desirability analyses and the presence of multiple related compounds that form a chemical series within the hit set. While the majority of hits are singlets, our analysis identified 46 distinct chemical series. Rescreening these purchased compounds demonstrated Almost all of the purchased compounds demonstrated some degree of protection from DUX4-induced cell death indicating the success of the primary screen. Follow up screens indicated that the majority of these hits were also acting independently of the dox-inducible system. Interestingly, further analyses revealed that a very large subset of the selected compounds confer protection against an oxidative insult (tBHP). The data to date highlight the potential usefulness of antioxidant therapy in FSHD.


Manipulation and separation of micron-sized particles, particularly biological particles, using the dielectrophoretic effect is an emerging application in BioMEMS technology. This paper presents a numerical simulation for the four-phase traveling dielectrophoresis (DEP) using a novel meshless method - weighted least square finite difference (LSFD) scheme. The exact boundary condition and nonuniform point distribution were used in the calculation. Numerical results including the electrical potential, electrical field, traveling wave DEP forces and particle behavior are presented. Although the LSFD scheme was originally proposed in solving incompressible viscous flow, it is further demonstrated in this paper that the method is also well suited for solving various DEP problems in which extremely high gradient of electric field exists in the computational domain, e.g. edges of the electrodes. The LSFD method enables the computational ease of free point/mesh distribution in these areas, and hence it is feasible in the modelling of DEP systems


Introduction: Weeds are the major constraint on rice production. It has been reported that weeds cause rice yield losses by 30-40% in Bangladesh, 36 to 56% in the Philippines, 40 to 100% in South Korea and up to 90% in Iran. Extensive application of graminicides, flooding, and continuous hand weeding have increased the population of more problematic weed species like bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus (L.) Palla in rice fields of northern Iran. Bulrush is a perennial weed belongs to cyperaceae family and resistant to most paddy herbicides, flooding and also hand weeding. Yield reduction of rice was estimated up to 100% due to bulrush competition. Despite environmental concerns, theeffect of herbicides on non-target organisms, and the increase of herbicide-resistance weeds, chemical control is still the most commonly used and reliable method for weeds control in paddy rice production in Iran.
Materials and Methods: Field experiments were conducted at Rice Research Institute of Iran during 2013 and 2014, Rasht, (36° 54' N, 40° 50' E, -21 masl) to assess the efficacy of paddy herbicides for bulrush control. In the first experiment (2013), commonly used paddy herbicides in Iran including bensulfuron-methyl, butachlor, oxadiargyl, pretilachlor, and thiobencarb were evaluated for bulrush control. Two control treatments (hand weeded and weedy check) were also included for comparison. Based on the result of the first experiment, second experiment (2014) was designed to evaluate the efficacy of some new herbicides including flucetosulfuron, penoxulam, metsulforun-methyl, pyrazolate and also bensulfuron-methyl for bulrush control. Both experiments were conducted as randomized complete block design with three replications. Individual plots were 3m wide by 3m long and rice seedlings (cv. Hashemi) manually were transplanted on 23 May 2013 and 2014, with planting distance of 20cm × 25cm. Visual injury evaluation for rice (chlorosis, and growth stunting) and visual weed control (chlorosis, necrosis, and plant stand reduction) was conducted at 2, 4 and 6-WAT (a week after transplanting) in each plot. Visual ratings of rice toxicity and weed control were based on a scale of 0 to 100%, where 0 means no injury or no weed control and 100 means complete death or complete weed control. Also, bulrush biomass was determined at 2, 4 and 6- WAT in the first experiment and 4 and at 12-WAT in the second experiment from a randomly selected 1m2 quadrate in each plot. Weed samples were oven dried at 70 °C for 72 h and weighted. At the maturity stage, rice grain yield (based on 14% humidity), and rice biomass was determined from 5 and 1 m2 per plot, respectively. Rice biomass from each plot was dried at 75°C for 96 h and weighted. Harvest index was calculated by dividing the dry weight of the grain by the dry weight of aboveground (biological yield). Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and means were compared using Fisher's protected LSD test at the 0.05 probability level. All statistical analyses were conducted using SAS (ver. 9.1) software program.
Results and Discussion: Results of the first experiment showed excellent control of bulrush by bensulfuron-methyl (≥98) followed by pretilachlor (≥85%) at 6-WAT, at the end of critical weed control period in transplanting rice. The efficacy of other herbicides was ≤60%. The lowest biomass of bulrush was recorded for plots treated with bensulfuron-methyl (1.5 g m-2) and pretilachlor (10.6 g m-2). Results also showed that the highest grain yields were observed in plots treated with bensulfuron-methyl (4000 kg ha-1) or pretilachlor (4231 kg ha-1). This was mainly due to optimum weed control in these plots. Grain yield in weedy plots reduced by 76% compared to hand weeded plots, indicating the severe infestation of the plots to bulrush and the ability of this weed to cause rice yield loss. The reduction in grain yield in weedy plots could be mainly due to severe competition for nutrient, especially nitrogen, and light. Because of adequate moisture in paddy fields, reduction in rice growth due to weed-crop competition for water is negligible. The highest harvest indices were observed in plots treated with pretilachlor (52.4%) and butachlor (50%) and weed-free plots (48.8%), while the lowest one was recorded for weedy plots. This result indicates that assimilate partitioning to grain or photosynthesis is reduced under weedy condition. The result of the second experiment also confirmed the result of the first one and indicated that bensulfuron-methyl had good efficacy (≥85%) on bulrush control. The result also indicated that bulrush was controlled very well by flucetosulfuron (88%) and pyrazolate (85%). In contrast, penoxulam and metsulforun-methyl had fair efficacy (≤ 49%) on bulrush control. Moreover, flucetosulfuron, and pyrazolate showed good compatibility with rice, and grain yield in these treatments did not statistically differ with gain yield in plots treated with thiobencarb + bensulfuron-methyl. Grain yield was significantly lower in weed-free plot compared to plots treated with bensulfuron-methyl, flucetosulfuron, and pyrazolate. This may be due to that manual weeding can be performed only when weeds have reached a sufficient size to be pulled out easily by hand. By that time, yield losses may have already occurred. At the same time, it seems that weed control by 2- or 3-times hand weeding induced severe stress on rice plant, resulted in a decrease in grain yield. Grain yield in a weedy plot was reduced by 51 and 62% compared with weed-free plots and with plots treated with thiobencarb + bensulfuron-methyl, respectively. These results indicate the importance of bulrush control in paddy fields.
Conclusion: Of the current paddy registered herbicides in Iran, bensulfuron-methyl was the most effective herbicide for bulrush control followed by pretilachlor with partial efficacy on bulrush. Newly investigated herbicides, flucetosulfuron, and pyrazolate, could be registered as good options for bulrush control in paddy rice. In respect to the different mechanism of action of new herbicides and their compatibility with rice, the alternative application of new and current herbicide is recommended for controlling bulrush and delaying weed resistance to the herbicide.


Although many studies pertaining to ISO 9000 initiatives have been conducted, the topic of ISO 9000 maintenance has received little attention from researchers. This paper presents a detailed case study of the ISO 9000 maintenance measures within a Malaysian local authority. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 interviewees. The findings revealed that six measures are undertaken in ISO 9000 maintenance; namely, control of documents, internal quality audit, data analysis and feedback, management review, corrective and preventative action and training. The research findings also revealed that the ISO 9000 maintenance measures are effectively carried out at a Malaysian local authority in this study. Although adherence to work procedures and focus on customer satisfaction have been given priority, the ISO 9000 maintenance has progressed into a more advanced phase by making ISO 9000 a tool to deliver a high-quality service that results in organisational performance improvement. Continuous improvement initiatives have enabled ISO 9000 maintenance to move forward and reach its advanced stage. The findings derived from this research would facilitate managers to understand the measures needed for effective ISO 9000 maintenance. The main contribution of this study is that it is one of the first to explore ISO 9000 maintenance in a specific sector, that is, local authority. Hence, the findings are significantly important in developing the knowledge of ISO 9000 maintenance in the local authority sector.


To test the effects of isolation on adult neurons, we investigated the fine structure and synaptic activity of rod cells dissociated from the mature salamander retina and maintained in vitro. First, freshly isolated rod cells appeared remarkably similar to their counterparts in the intact retina: the outer segment retained its stack of membranous disks and the inner segment contained its normal complements of organelles. Some reorganization of the cell surface, however, was observed: (a) radial fins, present at the level of the cell body, were lost; and (b) the apical and distal surfaces of the inner and outer segments, respectively became broadly fused. Second, the synaptic endings or pedicles retained their presynaptic active zones: reconstruction of serially sectioned pedicles by using three- dimensional computer graphics revealed that 73% of the synaptic ribbons remained attached to the plasmalemma either at the cell surface or along its invaginations. Finally, tracer experiments that used horseradish peroxidase demonstrated that dissociated rod cells recycled synaptic vesicle membrane in the dark and thus probably released transmitter by exocytosis. Under optimal conditions, a maximum of 40% of the synaptic vesicles within the pedicle were labeled. As in the intact retina, uptake of horseradish peroxidase was suppressed by light. Thus, freshly dissociated receptor neurons retained many of their adult morphological and physiological characteristics. In long- term culture, the photoreceptors tended to round up; however, active zones were present even 2 wk after removal of the postsynaptic processes.


While several books have been written about the life and views of Walter Lippmann, this volume is unique in its emphasis on Lippmann's relationship to American liberalism. Riccio examines Lippmann's political thought as evidenced in both his "scholarly" and journalistic work. He observes that although Lippmann started out as a socialist and ended up as something of a conservative, he usually backed liberal public policies and often explored liberalism's philosophical underpinnings. "Walter Lippmann"--"Odyssey of a Liberal "describes Lippmann's attraction to, involvement in, and disillusionment with American socialism prior to the First World War. It chronicles his brief career as a progressive reformer, and his subsequent disenchantment with that movement. Riccio also examines Lippmann's views on foreign affairs. Lippmann's relationships with conservatives and their influence on his views are also explored. Riccio articulates Lippmann's vision of liberalism as being at odds with much of the liberal mentality of his tune. In particular, he contrasts the pundit's views on politics, economics, public opinion, and moral authority with those of John Dewey.


Dialysis causes many psycho-social problems in patients with chronic renal failure and decreases their quality of life by increasing their anxiety. We aimed to determine the influence of artistic activities on quality of life and reducing or eliminating dialysis anxiety.Methods. Among 180 hemodialysis patients, 8 patients were randomly selected as a study group and 8 patients as a control group. We performed our theater rehearsals in 16 sessions, two hours per week. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), STAII and  Social Anxiety Scales (SAS) were employed in both groups before and after the play. Results. The means of the eighth-month SAS fear and avoidance measures of the study group were found to be significantly lower than the control group and significantly lower than the baseline. The mean difference of the initial eighth-month SAS fear and avoidance in the study group was statistically significantly higher than the control group.Initial and eighth month SAS fear and avoidance difference averages of the study group were found statistically significantly higher than the control group.Conclusions. We determined that the therapies to be done with art have an important place in relieving or reducing anxiety in hemodialysis patients. In addition, it was the opinion that our patients would make positive contributions to their quality of life. However, further studies are needed to demonstrate whether theater rehearsals reduce anxiety in hemodialysis patients.


An ongoing loss of cardiomyocytes to apoptotic and necrotic cell death pathways contributes to the progressive nature of heart failure. The pathophysiological origins of necrotic cell loss relate to the neurohormonal activation that accompanies acute and chronic stressor states and which includes effector hormones of the adrenergic nervous system. Fifty years ago, Albrecht Fleckenstein and coworkers hypothesized the hyperadrenergic state, which accompanies such stressors, causes cardiomyocyte necrosis based on catecholamine-initiated excessive intracellular Ca(2+) accumulation (EICA), and mitochondrial Ca(2+) overloading in particular, in which the ensuing dysfunction and structural degeneration of these organelles leads to necrosis. In recent years, two downstream factors have been identified which, together with EICA, constitute a signal-transducer-effector pathway: (i) mitochondria-based induction of oxidative stress, in which the rate of reactive oxygen metabolite generation exceeds their rate of detoxification by endogenous antioxidant defences; and (ii) the opening of the mitochondrial inner membrane permeability transition pore (mPTP) followed by organellar swelling and degeneration. The pathogenesis of stress-related cardiomyopathy syndromes is likely related to this pathway. Other factors which can account for cytotoxicity in stressor states include: hypokalaemia; ionized hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia with resultant elevations in parathyroid hormone serving as a potent mediator of EICA; and hypozincaemia with hyposelenaemia, which compromise antioxidant defences. Herein, we revisit the Fleckenstein hypothesis of EICA in leading to cardiomyocyte necrosis and the central role played by mitochondria.


Background: Going abroad for a number of years to live and work in a different country and culture is a major change for most people. To make this easier and minimize the risks of facing adjustment difficulties for these people going abroad, companies' Human resource departments, in particular, have great responsibilities. It is also mainly their responsibility to ensure a smooth re-adjustment for employees returning to home country after a completed international assignment. Today many companies not only underestimate the problems related to an unsuccessful repatriation process, but also do not acknowledge the difficulties that the expatriates face upon return. Moreover, there is evidence showing that only a minority of companies invest substantial resources in the task of creating an Effective Repatriation process, even though researchers have confirmed repatriation to be more challenging than expatriation.Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to find out how companies can improve and facilitate the repatriation of their employees. This will be done by examining factors affecting how an expatriate perceives the repatriation process and by identifying the most critical actions in achieving an effective repatriation process.Method: In order to fulfill the purpose of this thesis a qualitative method was chosen. A case study was conducted over Volvo Construction Equipment in Eskilstuna, based upon personal interviews with expatriates as well as representatives of the Volvo International Assignment Management (VIAM) and Human Resource department of Volvo Construction Equipment in Eskilstuna. Further, the case study included a preliminary study based on a question and answer format, answered by 20 expatriates at Volvo CE in Eskilstuna. With support from information gathered through the preliminary study, later 10 personal interviews were carried out with expatriates at Volvo CE.Conclusion: The findings of this thesis propose 10 main factors, which influence how an expatriate perceives the repatriation process. These are; (1) the Purpose for why an expatriate is sent abroad, (2) the Picture of the repatriation process and responsibility areas communicated by the home company, (3) the perceived Communication and support, (4) the utilization of Mentorship, (5) Reverse culture shock issues, (6) Career issues, (7) Organizational issues, (8) Practical issues, (9) Family issues and finally,(10) the existence of an Evaluation. Further, the result of this thesis suggest that there are four critical actions in achieving an effective repatriation process; preplanning, communicating and providing support, proactive repositioning process and finally, applying an evaluation.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of a family intervention in reducing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors among Hispanic delinquent adolescents.

DESIGN
Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING
Miami-Dade County Public School System and Miami-Dade County's Department of Juvenile Services, Florida.

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 242 Hispanic delinquent youth aged 12 to 17 years and their primary caregivers completed outcome assessments at baseline and 3 months after intervention.

INTERVENTION
Participants were randomized to either Familias Unidas (120 participants), a Hispanic-specific, family intervention designed to reduce HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic youth, or a community practice control condition (122 participants).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Self-reported measures included unprotected sexual behavior, engaging in sex while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, number of sexual partners, and incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. Family functioning (eg, parent-adolescent communication, positive parenting, and parental monitoring) was also assessed via self-report measures.

RESULTS
Compared with community practice, Familias Unidas was efficacious in increasing condom use during vaginal and anal sex during the past 90 days, reducing the number of days adolescents were under the influence of drugs or alcohol and had sex without a condom, reducing sexual partners, and preventing unprotected anal sex at the last sexual intercourse. Familias Unidas was also efficacious, relative to community practice, in increasing family functioning and most notably in increasing parent-adolescent communication and positive parenting.

CONCLUSION
These results suggest that culturally tailored, family-centered prevention interventions may be appropriate and efficacious in reducing HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic delinquent adolescents.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01257022.


Osseointegration is described as the close contact between bone and an implant surface, and the interest on surface engineering has to be understood as an important and natural trend. The biological fixation between the dental implant surfaces and jaw bones should be considered a prerequisite for the long-term success of implant-supported prostheses. In this context, the implant surface modifications gained an important and decisive place in implant research over the last years. The bone response, which means rate, quantity and quality, is related to the implant surface properties. For example, the composition and charges are critical for protein adsorption and cell attachment. Hydrophilic surfaces seem to favor the interactions with biological fluids and cells when compared to the hydrophobic ones, and hydrophilicity is affected by the surface chemical composition. Various techniques of surface treatments have been studied and applied to improve biological surface properties, which favors the mechanism of osseointegration. This strategy aims at promoting the mechanism of osseointegration with faster and stronger bone formation, to confer better stability during the healing process, thus allowing earlier loading of the implant. Some of the objectives for the development of implant surface modifications are to improve the clinical performance in anatomical sites characterized by poor quantity or quality of bone, to accelerate the bone healing and thereby allowing immediate or early loading protocols and also stimulating bone growth in order to permit implant placement in sites that lack sufficient residual alveolar ridge, thus providing them a jumping gap ability, for example. Implant morphology influences bone metabolism: rougher surfaces stimulate differentiation, growth and attachment of bone cells, and increase mineralization; furthermore, the degree of roughness is important. Implants may have "smooth" (machined) or rough surfaces. The main methods that are reported in the literature to create implant roughness are acid etching, sandblasting, titanium plasma spraying and hydroxyapatite (HA) coating. A current tendency is the manufacturing of implants with micro and submicro (nano) topography. Furthermore, the biofunctionalization of implants surfaces, by adding different substances to improve its biological characteristics, has also been recently investigated.
In this contex, aim of the present project has been focused on dental implant surface modifications in order to improve the clinical performance in areas with poor quantity or quality of bone.
In detail this aim has been reached trough 3 steps:
1) in vitro studies:
a) in vitro studies of osteoproperties of glass and titanium surfaces grafted with fibronectin sequence motif for integrin binding (Arg-Gly-Asp, RGD)/ human vitronectin protein (HVP)
b) development of an in vitro model to evaluate the degree of implants osteointegration by passing in vivo test.
2) in vivo studies, in big animal model, dogs, of osteointegrative properties of implants with different degree of surface modification.
3) clinical research on short implants, to underline the effect of surface modifications on dental implant survival in the long term in the clinic.
As final results of these studies, we can conclude that there are a huge number of types of implant surfaces in the market, from different implant manufacturers, all of them claiming to have better clinical results. It is important that the clinician choose the surface that have shown the best results in the scientific literature.
The majority of currently available in vitro and in vivo studies seem to indicate that implant surfaces with micro and submicro (nano) topography bring forward benefits to the process of interaction between bone cells and implant surfaces, accelerating and increasing the quality of bone-to-implant-contact (BIC).
Finally, based on the state of the art of implant development, it is possible to predict that, within some time, implant surfaces coated with substances with biomimetic capacity will be available for clinical use. This process of implant bio-functionalization aims at modulating new bone formation around implants, and it represents the next step in implant development.


The rapid development of Internet is pushing the e-Business to go to the front stage. Online authentication involves much more than the obvious identification and validation problem. We present here a comprehensive framework for online authentication which has several important practical benefits. Our distributed E-Business authentication scheme based on conic curve is proposed. This scheme is composed of three parts, constructing license and validating license. Because the security of license is determined by private key, not the arithmetic itself, user can not construct new license by given license and the public key as long as the private key is not leaked. Since encoding and decoding over conic are easily implement on conic curves, it has enabled our scheme to greatly enhance efficiency. We also analysis its security. The entire process guarantees the security and reliability.


We propose a new approach to anomaly detection from multivariate noisy sensor data. We address two major challenges: To provide variable-wise diagnostic information and to automatically handle multiple operational modes. Our task is a practical extension of traditional outlier detection, which is to compute a single scalar for each sample. To consistently define the variable-wise anomaly score, we leverage a predictive conditional distribution. We then introduce a mixture of Gaussian Markov random field and its Bayesian inference, resulting in a sparse mixture of sparse graphical models. Our anomaly detection method is capable of automatically handling multiple operational modes while removing unwanted nuisance variables. We demonstrate the utility of our approach using real equipment data from the oil industry.


Although the publication of the vascular flora of the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago extended from 1928–1992, it is incomplete with the family Poaceae still outstanding. Many of the early recorded families are in need of extensive revision. Therefore, this checklist is intended to fill these gaps by providing a comprehensive list of the vascular plants for the islands. We compiled the checklist using the results from herbarium records, literature citations, online resources and a Rapid Botanic Survey (RBS) of 240 sample plots across the islands. From the RBS plots 22,500 vascular plant specimens were collected, yielding 1530 species. The herbarium records, literature citations and the RBS plots yielded a total of 3639 species, of which 2407 are indigenous, 1222 are exotic and 108 are endemic or near endemic. The low endemism is attributed to the islands' close proximity to and recent separation from the South American continent. A total of 262 species of grasses (Poaceae) is published here for the first time along with the results from the RBS plots. Our annotated checklist further presents two types of conservation rating: the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List Categories and a global Star rating system. Based on the clustering of the 'Star rating' of each species, plant communities in the following areas: the Heights of Aripo, parts of the Nariva Swamp and the North-west Islands were identified as 'hot spots' of high conservation value which should continue to, or receive greater protection in the National Parks and Protected Areas system established in Trinidad and Tobago.


Introduction: The arrival of a newborn brings a mixture of excitement and anxiety, due to a wide variation in physical and physiologic findings. Neonatal morbidity and mortality remain alarmingly high in North-western Nigeria, and failure to recognize a sick neonate that needs medical attention contributes to these dire statistics. Therefore, an understanding of the variations of newborn parameters allows health-care personnel to address families' concerns and support parents. Materials and Methods: The study was a retrospective descriptive review of birth records, of live neonates delivered at a tertiary hospital who were referred for a pediatrician's assessment and subsequently certified stable and fit for discharge. Their parameters were described, and sub-groups were compared. Results: There were 224 newborns examined, with a male:female ratio of 1:1.1. Majority (99.1%) of the babies were examined within 24 h of life, and the mode of delivery was through cesarean section in 70.1% of the newborns. Their mean gestational age was 39.3 (±1.2 standard deviation [SD]) weeks, with 37 (16.5%) late preterm and 187 (83.5%) term babies. They had birth weight 3.1 kg (±0.6 SD) and 2.6 (±0.6 SD), P = 0.0001; length 49.2 cm (±2.9 SD) and 47.0 (±3.0 SD), P = 0.017; occipitofrontal circumference 34.6 cm (±1.7SD) and 33.6 (±1.3 SD), P = 0.001; respiratory rate 52 (±12 SD) and 54 (±14 SD), cycles (cpm) P = 0.291; heart rate 141 (±13SD) and 145 (±15SD) beats (bpm), P = 0.129; for the term and late preterm babies, respectively. Conclusions: Referred newborns who were assessed and certified stable and discharged, had comparable parameters, with average respiratory rate of 51 cycles, and heart rate of 140 beats. There were no statistical differences in the vital signs between late preterm and term newborns.


In this slim but intriguing volume, Aveni and Hartung have examined Maya sites in the Puuc area because these form a tightly integrated sample, clustering not only in location, age, and architectural style, but also in architectural alignments. Both authors have long studied such alignments in Mesoamerica, especially as these relate to astronomical phenomena and especially within the Maya area, and this volume includes further valuable field documentation. Its focus, however, is developing the first detailed model to account for the tight cluster in Puuc alignments (median 14° E of true north). Aveni and Hartung argue that the key pivots of the Maya solar year (as well as agricultural and other practices geared to it) are not the solstices, but the twice-yearly zenith-passage dates. These dates vary with latitude, however, and the authors suggest the Puucalignment skew orients buildings to the sunset anticipating zenith passage by 20 days, or one Maya uinal period. They infer the alignments derive from use of a calendar having "a solar orientation principle that associated the uinal method of counting with the significant positions of the sun at horizon" (p. 66), and outline several implications of their analyses for Maya archaeology more broadly.


Melatonin is involved in the regulation of circadian and seasonal rhythms and immune function. Prior research reported low melatonin levels in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). ASMT located in pseudo-autosomal region 1 encodes the last enzyme of the melatonin biosynthesis pathway. A previous study reported an association between ASD and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs4446909 and rs5989681 located in the promoter of ASMT. Furthermore, rare deleterious mutations were identified in a subset of patients. To investigate the association between ASMT and autism, we sequenced all ASMT exons and its neighboring region in 398 Chinese Han individuals with autism and 437 healthy controls. Although our study did not detect significant differences of genotypic distribution and allele frequencies of the common SNPs in ASMT between patients with autism and healthy controls, we identified new rare coding mutations of ASMT. Among these rare variants, 4 were exclusively detected in patients with autism including a stop mutation (p.R115W, p.V166I, p.V179G, and p.W257X). These four coding variants were observed in 6 of 398 (1.51%) patients with autism and none in 437 controls (Chi-Square test, Continuity Correction p = 0.032, two-sided). Functional prediction of impact of amino acid showed that p.R115W might affect protein function. These results indicate that ASMT might be a susceptibility gene for autism. Further studies in larger samples are needed to better understand the degree of variation in this gene as well as to understand the biochemical and clinical impacts of ASMT/melatonin deficiency.


Dietary restriction increases lifespan across the evolutionary spectrum and decreases metabolic disease risk in mammals. It has been shown that amino acid restriction is sufficient to promote some of the beneficial effects of dietary restriction in rodents. This phenomenon is dependent on GCN2 (general control nonderepressible 2), a kinase activated by amino acid restriction that controls protein synthesis and stress response. Our results show that treatment of type 2 diabetic subjects on a protein restriction diet for 4 weeks exhibited a 61% reduction in fasting glucose levels and a 14% decrease in Hb1Ac. These patients had a 32% reduction in Total Cholesterol with a 33% decrease in LDL. We noticed a reduction of 4.5% of body weight, with a decrease of 11% of fat mass and maintenance of lean mass. In addition, all subjects had systemic blood pressure normalization, with a decrease of 23% in systolic pressure and 44% in diastolic pressure. In order to understand in detail the action of protein restriction we evaluated the gene expression in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of these individuals. We observed the activation of GCN2 expression (p=0.0394) and consequently the activation of ATF4 (Activating transcription factor 4) and CHOP (C/EBP homologous protein) (p=0.0360 and p=0.0011 respectively). This findings suggesting that in fact, protein restricted diet affects the GCN2 pathway in humans, modulating the energy metabolism and enabling glycemic and lipidemic control. Disclosure R.C. Ferraz: None. R.A. Beraldo: None. P. Gomes: None. M.C. Foss: None. M. Foss-Freitas: None.


Jamming, Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) signals such as multipath, and other sources causing outliers during the measurement process lead to multi-modal behavior of the measurement system and hence non-linearity. Strong nonlinearity undermines convergence and accuracy of a GNSS estimator. In this work, a smoother is proposed for the classic GNSS positioning problem, by extending the legacy factor graph representation and graph-based nonlinear optimization. Two state-of-the-art methods are combined to ensure a robust estimation of GNSS antenna phase center. In the baseband stage, digital intermediate frequency (IF) samples are processed with robust cost functions; both frequency domain and time domain approaches are evaluated. In the measurement stage, an adaptive version of max-Gaussian mixture model, batch covariance estimation (BCE), was adopted to accurately estimate the multimodal behaviors of the measurement. Experimental results with real-world IF samples show that by combining these two classes of methods, GNSS position fixes are restored decently under heavy jamming conditions. Further insights are provided about the pros and cons of the two robust functions in baseband processing, and the pros and cons of different measurement modeling techniques compared with the adopted BCE approach.


Mulberry trees (Morus spp. Moraceae) are used for rearing the silkworm. Moraceae plants are characterized by the presence of latex, and mulberry trees exude latex when their stem, leaf or root were damaged. We found in the present study that mulberry latex contains very high concentrations of DNJ (0.63% wet weight, 4.5% dry weight), the DNJ content of latex varied with different part of tree and collecting time. The study also evaluated the antihyperglycemic effects of mulberry latex on streptozotocin induced diabetic mice. Diabetic mice were treated with mulberry latex or acarbose with food for 21 days. The results indicated that postprandial blood glucose and fasting-blood glucose level of mice were lowed, mulberry latex displayed a significant reduction ( P ≤ 0.05) in blood glucose. This finding suggested that mulberry latex have high value for herbal medicine as hypoglycemic function.


We simulated and measured the forward characteristics of 4H-SiC pin diodes in a wide temperature range from 300K to 700K. Our simulations are based on the stationary drift-diffusion model including a model for incomplete ionization of the dopants. Physically based models for Auger recombination and Shockley-Read-Hall recombination are used as well. For the mobility model the empirical relation of Caughey-Thomas is used. The model parameters to be calibrated in the simulation are the electron and hole minority lifetimes and the electron and hole bulk mobilities. Employing temperature-dependent carrier lifetimes we achieved very good agreement between simulations and measured data. For the temperature- and doping-dependent carrier mobilities we found that the best fit is obtained for a bulk mobility value much smaller than that suggested by standard parameters for 4H-SiC. With the calibrated parameters we simulated the internal carrier distributions for temperatures up to 700 K and for different carrier lifetimes.


Lockwood, Thomas D. Redox-dependent and redoxindependent subcomponents of protein degradation in perfused myocardium. Am. J. Physiol. 276 (Endocrinol. Metab. 39): E945–E954, 1999.—The integration of proteolytic pathways with metabolism was investigated in perfused rat myocardium. After a 10-min incorporation period, the minuteto-minute release of [3H]leucine from myocardial proteins was measured in nonrecirculating effluent perfusate. The nontoxic pro-oxidant probe diamide (100 μM) or a supraphysiological concentration of the endogenous oxidative metabolite dehydroascorbic acid (200 μM) reversibly inhibited 75% of myocardial proteolysis consisting of several known subcomponents (redox dependent); however, 25% of proteolysis was diamide insensitive (redox independent). Decrease in extracellular glucose concentration from 10 to 0.1 mM strongly increased the potencies of minimally effective concentrations of diamide (10 μM) or dehydroascorbic acid (15 μM) by ,10-fold to the respective potencies maximally inhibiting proteolysis. The reversal of diamide action was also strongly dependent on the perfusate glucose concentration observed at 0.1, 0.2, 1.0 and 10 mM glucose. Proteolytic inhibition caused by diamide (100 μM) was not accompanied by change in basal tissue ATP content of 5 μmol/g wet wt. Conversely, nearly lethal 60% ATP depletion caused by sodium azide (0.4 mM) was not accompanied by change in total [3H]leucine release. Results indicate that a large proteolytic subcomponent (75%) is maintained by redox chains fed by glucose; however, there is no apparent linkage of this proteolysis to short-term ATP fluctuations. A distinct major proteolytic subcomponent (25%) does not vary in response to experimental intervention in either ATP content or redox chains.


A formalism is derived to estimate the absorbed dose to a medium irradiated by high-energy photon and electron beams using an ionization chamber calibrated in terms of the exposure and this is compared with those in particular NACP and AAPM protocols. The influence of the humidity in air on the response of the chamber is taken into account in combination with various correction factors. In the present proposal, the fundamental factors needed for converting the reading of a chamber, calibrated in exposure (or air kerma), into absorbed dose are calculated for dry air in the calibration beam. For the user's beam, correction factors depending on the atmospheric conditions prevailing in the laboratory are given.


Photosensitivity diseases frequently occur as a result of sun exposure in individuals with inherited and acquired disorders. Several of these disorders may manifest acute cutaneous manifestations that bring the patient to the emergency room. The more common disorders that may be seen in this setting include sunburn, lupus erythematosus, porphyria, photosensitivity dermatitis, and polymorphous light eruption. The diagnosis can frequently be suspected on the basis of a careful history and physical examination. Specialized diagnostic procedures available to the dermatologist may assist in making the correct diagnosis. Effective treatment is available for many of these disorders.


With the development of wireless communication technologies and popularity of smart phones, many people are using location-based services (LBSs). However, since users continuously request queries to LBS server by using their exact locations, their privacy information is always in danger. Because the existing techniques provide user's privacy protection operating on centralized system, an anonymizer suffers from performance degradation and security problem. Therefore, a mechanism based on distributed system for users' privacy protection is required for the safe and comfortable use of LBSs by mobile users. For this, we, in this paper, propose a grid-based cloaking scheme for continuous query processing in Distributed systems. The proposed scheme stores information and performs operations in distributed manner to create a cloaking area. In addition, the proposed scheme uses aggregate nodes to prevent query issuers' bottleneck. Through performance analysis, we show that our cloaking scheme outperforms the existing centralized cloaking schemes in terms of service time.


This paper presents an in-depth investigation on the feasibility of dynamic spectrum access (DSA) in vehicular environments. We present a comprehensive description of the DSA-based vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication as it takes place in the context of a scenario where spectral resources are limited. Founded on top of this description is a queueing model whose primary objectives are to capture and characterize the dynamics of this type of communication system and assess its performance in terms of several classical metrics. Simplicity and tractability distinguish the proposed model herein from existing models in the literature. Extensive simulations and numerical analysis are conducted for the purpose of validating the proposed model, evaluating the performance of DSA-based communication, and highlighting its limitations.


We provide new insights on the determinization and minimization of tree automata using congruences on trees. From this perspective, we study a Brzozowski's style minimization algorithm for tree automata. First, we prove correct this method relying on the following fact: when the automata-based and the language-based congruences coincide, determinizing the automaton yields the minimal one. Such automata-based congruences, in the case of word automata, are defined using pre and post operators. Now we extend these operators to tree automata, a task that is particularly challenging due to the reduced expressive power of deterministic top-down (or equivalently co-deterministic bottom-up) automata. We leverage further our framework to offer an extension of the original result by Brzozowski for word automata.


Bringing sociological theory and research to bear on the "quota debates" dogging discussion of federal civil rights legislation in the early 1990s, this article highlights sociology's role in shaping employment law and shows how apparently technical legal arguments about allocating burdens of proof affect labor market resource allocation among the classes, races, and genders. Contrasting institutional-sociological with liberal-legal concepts of discrimination, the article shows why disparate impact theory has been the most sociological approach to Title VII enforcement. It also shows how disparate impact—a theory and method for establishing legally cognizable employment discrimination injurious to women and minorities—is, and is not, related to affirmative action—a policy encompassing a broad range of procedures intended to provide positive consideration to members of groups discriminated against in the past. Finally, a competing incentive framework is used to show that, although disparate impact creates some incentives for employers to adopt quota hiring, such incentives are counter-balanced by major incentives working against race- and gender-based quotas. Major counterincentives stem from disparate impact itself, from other aspects of equal employment law, and from organizational goals shaping business response to the legal environment.


In this paper I use a rich longitudinal database from Florida to compare the characteristics of alternatively certified teachers with their traditionally prepared colleagues. I analyze the relative effectiveness of teachers who enter the profession through different pathways by estimating value-added models of student achievement. In general, alternatively certified teachers have stronger preservice qualifications than graduates of traditional university-based teacher preparation programs do, with the least restrictive alternative route attracting the most qualified prospective teachers. Teachers who enter through the path requiring no coursework have a substantially larger effect on student achievement. In contrast, the alternative pathway that requires substantial occupation-specific human capital investment yields teachers who are less effective than either traditional-route teachers or teachers who entered the profession through other alternative pathways. These results suggest that any benefits from preservice training are overwhelmed by the adverse selection into programs that require nontransferable human capital investments.


Background Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. Referral guidance can help general practitioners (GPs) identify predictive symptoms of colorectal cancer at an earlier stage in primary care. The objectives of this study were to test the feasibility of a paper-based assessment tool incorporating the CAPER score, a clinical prediction rule for patients presenting to primary care with lower gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Three different recruitment methods and GP compliance with completing the CAPER score were assessed. Methods Patients aged 45 years and above consulting for bowel-related symptoms were recruited in 25 general practices in five regions in the UK. Two recruitment methods were carried out by practice receptionists and one by the GP (GP-prompted). The assessment tool prompted GPs to calculate a score using CAPER; a score of 35 points or over indicated a study referral. Three audits assessed recruitment success, compliance with the assessment tool and clinical outcomes. Results In total, 122 patients were recruited into the trial. Although overall recruitment was low, GP-prompted recruitment was more successful than the other two methods. Most GPs completed a clinical examination (92.6%) as directed by the assessment tool; however, only 64% of GPs completed a rectal examination. GPs did not comply well with carrying out haemoglobin (48%) and faecal occult blood (FOB) tests (38%). Only 55% of the final CAPER scores were calculated correctly by GPs. Four patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer; all met the referral criteria for the CAPER score; however, only three met the NICE referral criteria. Conclusions Overall, recruitment into the study was lower than expected. GP-prompted recruitment was the most effective. Assessment tool compliance was low, which indicates that in future trials a more user-friendly design should be developed.


AIMS--To compare the sensitivity and specificity of two semiautomated systems against a conventional (MIC 2000) test system for the identification and antibiotic susceptibility of Gram negative bacteria. METHODS--Clinical isolates of Gram negative bacilli (188 urinary and 229 non-urinary strains) were identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility in the Cobas Micro and MIC 2000 systems. Of these, 359 strains were then tested in the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems. Two hundred and forty three strains were tested in all three systems immediately after isolation. Forty three were also tested only in the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems immediately after isolation. The remaining 174 strains were tested after storage at -20 degrees C for several months. RESULTS--The Cobas Micro and MIC 2000 systems agreed on the identification of 310 of the 417 (74.3%) strains; the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems agreed on 338 of the 359 (94.2%) strains. The Cobas Micro system correctly identified 86.8% of strains tested after storage and 65.4% of those immediately after isolation. Organism-antibiotic combinations (non-urinary isolates) were tested in the Cobas Micro and MIC 2000 systems (n = 2335), in the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems (n = 999). Essential correlation (complete agreement plus minor errors) was observed in 98% (with 90% complete agreement) in the former and in 97% (with 86% complete agreement) in the latter. For the urinary isolates, 1949 organism-antibiotic combinations were analysed in the Cobas Micro and MIC 2000 systems where complete agreement was observed in 92% (with 3% very major discrepancies), for 1382 urinary organism-antibiotic combinations tested in the Vitek and MIC 2000 systems, the figures were 95% and 2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS--The Vitek system is highly accurate in the identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of Gram negative bacteria. The Cobas Micro system has many shortcomings in its identification of Gram negative rods, especially freshly isolated strains, but it is comparable with the Vitek system in antibiotic susceptibility testing.


ABSTRACT Uneven and combined development. Regional Studies. The concept of uneven and combined development (U&CD) interprets dynamic historical change and comparative geographical differentiation in terms of the co-existence of tendencies towards differentiation and equalization of the conditions of production, consumption, distribution and exchange, deriving from capital accumulation and political multiplicity. U&CD entails a conception of the global system as a constellation of interdependent, national institutional configurations and interests that shape international/national/regional trends. To explain geographies of industrialization and urbanization and current trends towards a pluri-centric world, U&CD requires, however, a specification of the underlying causal mechanisms, examined in economic geography, international relations and developmental state theories.


: A model for a central equipment pool managed by a clinical engineering department has been presented. The advantages to patient care and to the clinical engineering department are many. The distribution of portable technology that has been traditionally managed by the materials management function is a logical match to the expanding role of clinical engineering departments in technology management. Accurate asset management tools have allowed us to provide reliable measures of infusion pump utilization, permitting us to predict future needs as programs expand. Thus we are more actively involved in strategic technology planning. The central equipment pool is an excellent opportunity for the clinical engineering department to increase its technology management activities.


 Abstract — Engine exhaust noise is considered one of the largest sources of vehicle exterior noise. Further reduction of noise from the vehicle exhaust system will be required, as the vehicle exterior noise regulations become stricter. Therefore, the present study has been carried out to illustrate the role of engine operating parameters and exhaust system construction factors on exhaust noise emitted. The measurements carried out using different exhaust systems, which are mainly used in today's vehicle. The effect of engine speed on the spectra level of exhaust noise is recorded at engine speeds of 900 rpm, 1800 rpm, 2700, rpm 3600 rpm and 4500 rpm. The results indicate that the increase of engine speed causes a significant increase in the spectrum level of exhaust noise. The increase in the number of the outlet of the expansion chamber also reduces the overall level of exhaust noise.


Ensuring quality of services and reducing the blocking probability is one of the important cases in the environment of grid computing. In this paper, we present a deadline aware algorithm to give solution to ensuring the end-to-end QoS and improvement of the efficiency of grid resources. Investigating requests as a group in the start of time slot and trying to accept the highest number of them. Totally can cause to increase the possibility of acceptance of requests and also increase efficiency of grid resources. Deadline aware algorithm reaches us to this goal. Simulations show that the deadline aware algorithm improves efficiency of advance reservation resources in both case. Possibility of acceptance of requests and optimizing resources in short time slot and also in rate of high entrance of requests in each time.